Custom Rod Builders - This message board is provided for your use
by the sponsors listed on the left side of the page. Feel free to post any
question, answers or topics related in any way to custom building. When purchasing
products please remember those who sponsor this board.

Manufacturers and Vendors - Only board sponsors are permitted and
encouraged to promote and advertise products on the board. You may become
a sponsor for a nominal fee. It is the sponsor fees that pay for this message
board.

Rules - Rod building is a decent and rewarding craft. Those who
participate in it are assumed to be civilized individuals who are kind and
considerate in their dealings with others. Please respond to others in the
same fashion in which you would like to be responded to. Registration IS
NOW required in order to post. You must include your actual First and Last
name and a correct email address when registering or posting. Posts which
are inflammatory, insulting, or that fail to include a proper name and email
address will be removed and the persons responsible will be barred from further
participation.

Registration is now required in order to post. You must
include your actual First and Last name and a correct email address when registering
or posting.

Hello all. I recently discovered this forum and the wealth of knowledge that is available here. I am specifically interested in finding more information on building the foam core grips with carbon fiber sleeves and it appears this is the place to look. I have read some recent discussions on the topic and they often reference past issues of Rod Maker magazine. I am hoping that there is someone that could help me find what issues or threads on this forum that have information on this technique so that I can access them. Also is there some sort of membership that would allow me to access all of the older issues instead of paying for each one individually?

While I have made a fair number of foam core/carbon fiber sleeve grips I recently ordered some "on sale" cork grips and used them instead of shaping a foam core. The cost was similar to purchasing foam core and they already had the basic shape and dimensions I needed. I roughed them up a bit, then applied a thin layer of epoxy, let it dry and smoothed it with fine grit sand paper.. I then did a "wet" layer of epoxy and applied the carbon fiber sleeve as if I were using a foam core. It remains to be seen how it will hold up vs the foam core.